


Courage (DISCONTINUED)

by CastleAndMurdock



Category: Gotham (TV)
Genre: All the cute stuff, Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Teachers, Alternate Universe - Teenagers, Anxiety Disorder, Awkward Flirting, Awkwardness, Bisexual Female Character, Break Up, Bullying, Canon Bisexual Character, Canon Gay Relationship, Canon Lesbian Relationship, Child Neglect, Coming Out, Coping Mechanisms, Cute, Cute Nerdy Kristen, Dissociation, Edward is super talkative and happy about everything, F/F, F/M, First Dates, Fluff, Gay Male Character, Guidance Counselors, Harley-Esque Barbara, Holding Hands, Intrusive Thoughts, Jealousy, Kissing, Lesbian Character, M/M, Mental Health Issues, Minor Canonical Character(s), Misunderstandings, Multi, Neglect, One-Sided Attraction, POV Oswald Cobblepot, Relapsing, Self-Acceptance, Sexual Confusion, Shy Oswald, Social Anxiety, Students, coffee dates
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-04-27
Updated: 2016-12-09
Packaged: 2018-06-04 22:32:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 11,646
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6677974
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CastleAndMurdock/pseuds/CastleAndMurdock
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A very shy Oswald learns a lesson in bravery when he is partnered up with Edward Nygma for a science project.</p><p>(Expanded into a multi-chapter by request)<br/>(Rating has changed from G to T)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Partners

Oswald Cobblepot had no confidence. He had learned that lesson very quickly in his short time on Earth. Despite the constant reassurance from his darling mother that he, in fact, _was the greatest gift God had ever bestowed onto the planet, and if anyone thought otherwise, they were wrong._ If that had been true, he doubted that he would be in this situation right now. He had been leaning back against the wall now for at least ten minutes. Other students passed him by as if he didn't exist, on their way to their lockers or classes. Every once in a while, Oswald would peek around the corner to see if _he_ was still there. The only other student to roam the halls who usually went completely unnoticed, stood alone at his locker, his upper half obscured by the open locker door. A group of guys approached from the far end of the hall and Oswald whipped his head back around, safely hidden away behind the corner. As they passed by the kid at his locker, the group stopped.

"Hey, _Nygma!_ " one member of the group called out. "Why don't you shove yourself in that locker and save me the trouble of doing it myself!" The rest of group howled in laughter as they continued down the hall. Edward stayed frozen in place until the guys were far enough away. He _usually_ went unnoticed. The group of boys walked past Oswald as they rounded the corner.

"What are _you_ looking at, Bird Boy?" one taunted. Oswald stayed quiet and kept his head down until they left. Once they were gone, Oswald peeked around the corner again. The locker door closed as the bell rang. The other students were hurrying off to their destinations and Oswald was running out of time. He summoned up as much courage as he could, rounded the corner and walked in the direction of his target. Edward still stood at his locker, waiting for the path to clear out before going to his next class. Edward shifted his glasses as Oswald approached. Oswald stood, staring up at the taller boy in silence, as if he had forgotten what he was going to say. Had he ever thought of what he was going to say? He gripped at his backpack strap tighter as he struggled to find his words.

"Hi." was all he could muster, as the taller boy turned to look down at him through his glasses.

"Hi!" Edward replied happily. The halls were almost empty by now, he was definitely going to run out of time.

"I um, wanted to know if..." Oswald began, shakily.

"Hey, you're in my science class, right?" Edward asked, Oswald's face finally registering in his memory. Oswald nodded, his eyes wide like a deer's in the path of an oncoming train. _He_ remembered him. "Don't we get to choose our lab partners for this test?" Edward's question snapped him back to Earth.

"That's just what I was going to ask you." Oswald said, surprised that he managed to string out a full sentence. Edward smiled.

"Hey, you could be my partner! No one ever wants to be my partner." Edward declared. Oswald suddenly felt more at ease and nodded.

"Sure, I'll be your partner." Oswald smiled, the death grip he had on his backpack strap eased up.

"Great!" Edward cheered. He lightly patted Oswald's shoulder as he turned to leave. "See you then, partner!" Edward said with a wave, as he made his way to his next class. Oswald waved back, much more calm now, and headed in the opposite direction to his own class.


	2. Mother

By the time his science class rolled around, Oswald's nervousness had returned with force. He had felt strangely calm when he was around Edward. It was just building up the confidence to talk to him that seemed to be the problem. Oswald had always been quiet, especially around strangers, but talking to Edward was different somehow, even though he had only spoken to Edward a handful of times.

The first time, when they had met, Oswald had accidentally walked head first into the door of Edward's open locker. He had mumbled a quick apology, having not known who's locker he had run into. Edward had helped him stand back up and brushed the dirt off his shoulder. Oswald had taken one look at him and bolted down the hall as fast as he could go. The second time was a week later, when Edward passed by him at lunch and asked how his head was doing. Oswald had no idea what he was talking about, but replied that he was just fine and went back to his lunch. It was only after Oswald walked past Ed's locker later that day, the one with the small dent in the door where his head had hit it, did he realize. And Edward had actually cared enough to ask him about it. The third time, the day before Oswald had tried to ask him about being lab partners, Ed had waved at him from across the hall before everyone left for the day. Oswald had assumed he was waving to someone behind him, and had ignored Ed as he made his way to the front doors of the school and left, leaving a confused Edward behind.

Now, Oswald walked into class and quickly took his seat, not bothering to look at anyone around him. He was early, so there wasn't very many people to look at anyway. He stared down at his book that he threw onto his desk, the realization of what happened earlier that day was starting to hit him. He'd be spending a lot of time with Edward for this project. He would go to Edward's house, or Edward would go to his. Edward would meet his mother, or worse, he'd have to be alone with him. As the intrusive thoughts racked through his head, someone tapped their finger lightly on his shoulder.

"Hello lab partner." Edward said happily. Oswald looked up at him as the taller boy smiled down. Edward held his science book close to his chest and his glasses were crooked. Oswald swallowed nervously.

"Hi, Ed." he said, his fingers rapped against the book on his desk.

"I don't think we've been formally introduced." Edward announced. "I know _your_ name, you know _my_ name, but a introduction is definitely in order if we're going to be partners for this assignment." he added, as he held his hand out to Oswald. Oswald shook his hand, but Edward did not let go.

"Edward Nygma," he introduced himself, his grip on Oswald's hand was still strong and firm.

"I'm Oswald Cobblepot." the shorter boy replied. Edward nodded, already expecting his response. He let go of Oswald's hand, letting his arm return to it's place around the book against his chest.

"It's very nice to properly meet you Mr. Cobblepot." Edward said. "I expect that I will be going to your house this afternoon." Oswald shook his head in confusion.

"My house? Why?" he asked, forgetting about his thoughts from earlier.

"Why, to work on the project, of course." Edward laughed. The classroom was beginning to fill up with other students, as they weaved through the sea of desks around the two boys. "I will speak to you later about it, after the assignments are passed out." Edward waved a goodbye and returned to his desk.

The rest of the class was a nightmare. More intrusive thoughts slithered into Oswald's head, so many that he didn't remember what the class was about, what he was going to be studying, or how long they had to do it. _What if he thinks I'm weird? What if I don't have anything to say? What if...mother!_ he thought. The other kids started to leave as the bell rang, though it wasn't the bell that snapped Oswald out of it. He felt another tap on his shoulder. Oswald looked around to see that Edward, the teacher and himself were the only other people left in the room.

"Ready to go, partner?" Edward smiled, throwing his backpack over his shoulder. Oswald nodded, grabbed his unopened book and followed Edward into the hall.

"I just have to stop at my locker," Oswald said. "If that's okay."

"Absolutely." Edward said, following along behind him as they headed to the locker. Oswald got his backpack from the locker and shoved his science book inside it.

"I usually walk home." Oswald said. "My mother doesn't trust the bus." Edward nodded in agreement.

"That's understandable." he said, as they left and walked down the steps of the school. They passed by the other kids as Oswald led the way towards the darker part of Gotham. The boys went past a few alleyways and into the darker part of the city. They finally stopped at a small residential building and Oswald led Edward up the few steps and opened the front door.

"I'm home, mother!" he called out to the dimly lit house. Footsteps could be heard upstairs, quickly making their way to the staircase where a woman with wild blonde hair appeared.

"My Oswald!" she cried, taking the stairs two at a time before pulling the smaller boy into her arms. Edward's presence hadn't quite registered to her yet, as her son was crushed into her arms and Oswald struggled to free himself before Edward took notice. Gertrud loosened her grip, her hands grabbing at Oswald's face. "How was school, my darling?" she asked, pressing a kiss to Oswald's forehead.

"Fine, mother. We have to go study now." Oswald said, finally able to duck out of his mother's grasp. Edward stood close by in silence, a smile on his face as he waited for her to notice him. Gertrud's eyes flicked over to the taller boy and she gasped in embarrassment.

"Hello!" she said to Edward. "Did you make a friend, Oswald?" Oswald cowered down, mortified. "I did not see you! I am so rude!" Gertrud reached up and put her hands on Edward's face.

"Hello, ma'am." he greeted. "My name is Edward Nygma."

"Oh! So polite!" Gertrud cheered. "And so cute!" She released his face and turned towards the kitchen. "Yes, go study! I will make you snacks!" Edward stood, still smiling and looked over to Oswald.

"Shall we study?" he asked. Oswald nodded silently and led the way to the dining room. Oswald threw his backpack beside a chair at the two person table and sat down. Edward followed, he moved the chair that was across from Oswald and sat directly to his left. Edward opened his own backpack and took out his science book, laying it out neatly in front of him. Oswald grabbed his own book and flicked through it, unsure of which page to stop on. "Page forty-two." Edward said, catching Oswald off guard.

"Thanks." Oswald mumbled, turning to the correct page.

"You weren't paying attention in class, were you?" Edward laughed. "That's okay, I could do this assignment in my sleep, don't worry." Gertrud emerged from the kitchen then, a silver tray with snacks and drinks in her hands. She set the tray down carefully on the table, far enough away from their books. Edward politely thanked her, his hands folded on the table. Gertrud smiled and lovingly pressed her hand against Edward's face before quickly heading out of the room. "I like your mom." he said, as she left.

"She seems to like you, too." Oswald said, a small smile crept onto his face. His mother never liked anyone Oswald was friends with, the few friends that he had anyway. No one was ever good enough to be his friend. _Is Edward my friend?_ Oswald thought. He watched Edward out of the corner of his eye, as the taller boy ate a cookie from the tray and glanced over his book. Oswald _really_ hoped that Edward was his friend.


	3. A Confession

Edward had only stayed over for a few hours to study. He went over the entire lesson from that day, making sure Oswald was all caught up and didn't miss anything. Gertrud had tried to talk him into staying for dinner, but he had declined, not wanting to impose on her kindness any longer. He left at around six that evening, waving back to Oswald as he climbed down the front steps and headed off towards his own house. Oswald closed the front door and walked back into the dining room to move his books.

"He's cute," Gertrud said, clearing away the dishes on the table. "A very nice boy, I like him." Oswald flinched back at her words, though she didn't notice. Oswald grabbed his backpack from the floor and swung it onto his shoulder.

"He's okay," Oswald replied quietly, taking his science book from the table. "I guess." His mother smiled to herself, looking at him closely from the corner of her eye, as she piled the rest of the dishes onto the serving tray.

"Just okay?" she asked, picking the tray up. Oswald nodded as turned away from her, the book now under his arm. "He seems to really like you, Oswald." He shook his head in response, his hair dropping slightly into his pale face.

"I'm sure he was just being nice." Oswald answered, as he walked toward the stairs and climbed up to his room. He threw his backpack and book to the carpeted floor before collapsing face up on his bed. He let out a frustrated sigh. He so badly wanted to make his feelings known, to just have the confidence to tell Edward how he really felt. Other people at his school did it all the time. Everyone always had a date on Friday night, and rarely ever with the same person. Oswald had never been on a date in his life, not that his mother would ever allow it. He would feel so much better if he could just tell him. He slowly counted to ten as he tried to block out the intrusive thoughts again. _Why would he want to go out with you? He's just helping you with your homework, he's just being nice. He's nice to everyone, even the jerks at school. Mother scared him off, that's why he wouldn't stay for dinner._ He started over again from one, slowly making his way back up to ten when the first round of numbers didn't work. He repeated the string of numbers a few more times before his mother called him down for dinner.

Oswald's plate was already set out for him as he took his place at the table. He wasn't very hungry though, the uneasiness in the stomach still lingered from earlier. Gertrud joined him at the table, sitting across from him.

"Aren't you hungry?" she asked after a while of him pushing his food around with a fork. "Are you sick?" she asked, her tone becoming panicked. Oswald shook his head.

"No! I'm just not very hungry, I guess." he replied, setting his fork down. "Do you mind if I go back upstairs?" Gertrud shook her head.

"Is this about that boy?" she questioned. Oswald's face quickly turned red, the severe color change from the natural paleness of his skin had given him away.

"No, of course not!" he lied, stuttering on the last word, an obvious sign that he wasn't telling the truth. Gertrud shook her head again, a smile crossing over her face.

"It's okay, Oswald." she said. "I know." Oswald was dead quiet, all of the air had left his lungs. How did she know? _What_ did she know?

"You know what?" he asked carefully.

"That you have feelings for that boy." she replied, setting her own fork onto the table. "Are you afraid that I wouldn't approve?" she asked sadly. Oswald looked down at the table, unable to meet her eyes. He gave a slight nod.

"But, it's not... _just_ that." he confessed. "I don't...I don't think he likes me, not in the same way." Gertrud gasped.

"How could he not like you?! You are a precious gift to this world, Oswald. Anyone would be very lucky to have you." she assured him. He wasn't buying it.

"I think he's just being nice, because I'm not smart enough for the class project." Oswald insisted. Gertrud stood up and walked over to him, kneeling down in front of him.

"That boy likes you very much, as a friend, or otherwise. He does not think you are stupid." she promised. "Do not worry too much, Darling. Talk to him tomorrow." Oswald took a shaky deep breath, the intrusive thoughts were coming back.

"I can't." he retorted, finally looking her in the eyes.

"And why not?" she demanded. "You are just as capable of talking to that boy as anyone else is."

"What if he says no?" Oswald asked.

"Then it is his loss, you are perfect." she replied, taking his face into her hands. "You look just like your father." she remarked, her suddenly sad eyes carefully scanned over his face. "Just talk to him, okay? For me?" She nodded her head, urging him to agree. He nodded in return as she wrapped her arms around him. She pressed a kiss to the side of his head and they returned to their dinner in calm silence.


	4. Intrusions

Oswald let the alarm clock ring in his ear three full times before he silenced it. He rolled out of bed, hoping the ringing didn't wake up his mother, and slowly got ready for school. The assignment was due on Friday, which meant he still had one full afternoon of studying with Edward before they were to present the project in class the day after. If he could only get through today and tomorrow without any worry, he'd be okay. Unfortunately for Oswald, the intrusive thoughts had started early that morning. The first came as he started brushing his teeth. _He's really annoyed that he has to do all the work, while you just keep quiet and listen._ He shook the thought away as he finished with his teeth and went back to his room to get dressed. He grabbed his backpack from his bedroom floor and quietly went downstairs. His mother wasn't yet awake, so he slipped out of the house as quietly as he could before she woke up.

Halfway to school, just as the streets of Gotham were starting to look nicer and less threatening, Oswald looked up to see a friendly face waiting for him. Edward smiled once he saw Oswald and waved.

"Hello, science partner!" he greeted. Oswald froze in place and stared up at his friend. Despite the feeling of an incoming panic attack, he cleared his thoughts, and smiled up at him.

"Hi, Edward." Oswald said, walking the remaining steps to stand beside him. He looked around to see no one else near them. "Were you...waiting for me?" he asked. Edward nodded.

"Of course!" he remarked happily. "We're friends, right?" Oswald nodded.

"Yeah," he smiled. "I guess we are." Edward looked down at the watch on his wrist.

"We had better get going then." he suggested. The boys walked to school in happy silence, quickly getting out of the bad part of town where it always seemed cloudy and grey. The area around the school however, was bright and sunny as they walked up the steps. The other students talked in their own little groups before heading off to class, even the usual bullies seemed to be in good moods, it was unusual, but nice. Oswald walked along the halls beside Edward this time, instead of nervously trailing behind him. They stopped at Edward's locker first, and he took out what he needed from it and put his backpack inside. Edward closed the door and laughed to himself.

"What?" Oswald asked, a smile on his face. He finally felt included enough to feel like he was apart of the joke. Edward nodded towards the dent in the door.

"Remember when you hit your head?" he asked. "I mean, I hope you do, otherwise that would be bad. Memory loss and all." he noted. Oswald felt his chest tightening up at the memory. He was doing so well, why did he have to remind him about that?

"Oh, uh...yeah." he mumbled, not really looking at the dent. "Yeah, I remember." Oswald laughed nervously to himself.

"Anyway, come on." Edward said, walking a bit down the hall. He turned back around. "Aren't you coming?" he asked.

"Where?" Oswald replied, confused as he turned around.

"To your locker?" Edward laughed. "I don't remember where it is." Oswald snapped back to reality again and nodded. He led the way with Edward trailing behind him. They arrived at Oswald's locker where he left his own backpack and they headed off to their respective classes. Edward waved his usual goodbye, Oswald replied with a quick, single wave and sauntered down the hall. Everything seemingly started to crash down. Oswald passed by a window where the clouds were now rolling in, blocking away the once bright sunlight. He walked the rest of the way to his class with his head down. As he sat at his desk he got angry with himself. Everything was going so well, and one little off detail of the perfection had thrown everything off.

_You knew you would ruin everything. Why are you so surprised?_

The rest of his class was spent with Oswald tensed up at his desk, his hand holding his pencil was in a near death grip, as he once again stared blankly ahead, not taking in any of the lesson. The bell rang, though Oswald stayed tense as he walked to lunch, the other students rushing past him out of the classroom and down the hall. He finally got to the lunchroom, filled his tray in the line and made his way to his table. The table near the corner only had one chair, because no one else ever sat there but Oswald. The other chairs had been taken away over the past few months, for other kids needing an extra place for a new or old friend. Some asked him if it was okay, most didn't, having not seen Oswald sitting at the table to begin with. He placed his tray onto the table and sat down. He was a quarter of the way through with his food, when he heard the voice that made his tension worse.

"Hey partner!" Edward greeted, setting his tray down beside Oswald's. "Hey, where did all the chairs go?" he laughed.

"I-I don't know." Oswald replied quietly, hovering over his tray.

"I'll go get one." he said. Edward returned about a minute later, carrying the elusive chair in his arms. "Got it!" he said. Edward set the chair in front of his tray and sat down beside Oswald. "How are you?" he asked. Oswald slowly turned to face his friend, blinking a few times as he tried to think of an answer.

"I'm fine." he said finally.

_It took you long enough, Bird Boy._

"That's good!" Ed smiled. "So, another afternoon at your house to study?" he asked. "If that's okay?" Oswald nodded, his eyes staring straight ahead.

"That's fine." he replied. Edward gave him a strange look, full of concern and curiosity.

"Are you sure you're okay? You seem kind of distant."

"Yeah, I'm fine." Oswald mumbled, still not looking at Edward.

"Oh, well...okay." Edward said. "I'll just give you some space, okay? If you still want to hang out after school, we can it's okay with you, and your mom. Just talk to me later about it." Edward scooted back from the table and left with his tray, heading off to his usual table with the other kids from their science class.

_GOOD JOB OSWALD, NOW LOOK WHAT YOU'VE DONE. YOU SCARED HIM AWAY._

Oswald shrank down in his chair, keeping his eyes locked to his tray, as he wondered what he had done wrong.


	5. The Test

When the last class had ended, Oswald made his way through the busy halls, weaving his way around other students as he quietly and slowly moved toward the exit. He knew Edward would be waiting for him by the doors, but he sped up and left the school without looking up. He didn't want Edward to see him flustered again. He was halfway down the block when he heard the familiar voice behind him.

"Oswald!" The boy in question stopped and turned around to see Edward running up to him. "Did you still want to study? Is it okay with your mom and everything?" he asked, pushing his glasses up his nose. Oswald loved that, the cute little reflex Edward did without realizing. It was such a common thing for people with glasses to do, done a hundred times a day, a task done in a instant, part of the routine, so common for Edward he didn't even notice it anymore. But Oswald always noticed, the unusual way Edward had of doing it, or maybe it was just his imagination. It was the cutest thing Oswald had ever seen.

"I- I wasn't sure if you still wanted to." Oswald replied, his eyes still locked to the bridge of his friend's nose. Edward smiled, both of his hands reached up to hold his backpack straps.

"Of course I do, you can't get rid of me that easily." Edward laughed as he walked past Oswald, towards the darker part of Gotham. "You coming?" he asked. Oswald nodded and matched Edward's pace as they walked side by side.

Gertrud welcomed them both at the door, a tray of snacks was already waiting for them on the dining table. Both chairs were placed suspiciously close together. Oswald shot his mother a look, but she laughed to herself and went upstairs to give them privacy. They took their seats and opened their books. Oswald was beginning to understand the project a bit more, Edward was much better at explaining the lesson to him than their teacher was, and much more patient with him too. Edward would occasionally reach over to Oswald's book, to show him the next part of the lesson. Sometimes Edward's hand would brush across his and Oswald would flush with red. He wasn't sure if Edward was doing it on purpose or not, so Oswald moved his hands out of the way, both as a test, to see if Edward would do it again, and because he felt like he was in the way. Edward would then resort to lightly touching Oswald's shoulder every time he needed to get his attention, or if he felt like he was losing him again.

When the clock struck six, Edward began to gather his things and put them in his bag. Oswald watched his every move, how organized Ed was, how every little thing had a specific place, how everything was in perfect order. Oswald's eyes wandered up to his glasses again, an involuntary smile spread across his face. Edward looked up and noticed the smile.

"Well, that's new." he chuckled. "You should do that more often." Oswald's smile disappeared as his heart began to pound.

_He's just being nice._

"Sorry..." Oswald mumbled in reply, his gaze dropped to the table top.

"Don't be sorry. You have a nice smile." Edward noted. He stood up and swung his backpack over one shoulder, he had a tight grip on the strap. Oswald stood up too and walked his friend to the door. "I'll see you tomorrow." Edward said, before slipping his long arms around Oswald's shoulders and bringing the smaller boy close to his chest. Ed's chin rested against the top of Oswald's head for a few seconds before he pulled away, waved, and walked out the door. Oswald let out the breath he didn't know he had been holding, his hand let go of the door after it closed and he went back to the table. He put his books away and sat there for a very long time, many thoughts raced through his mind, but none of them were negative, or intrusive. Until he over thought it. Regret poured over him after playing the memory over and over in his head. How he wished he had returned the hug, instead of letting his arms stay at his sides. He wished he wasn't so awkward and weird. He wished he was good enough for Edward.

***

When Friday finally came, Oswald was going over his notes one last time, his head against his closed locker door, looking down at the pages in his hands, scribbled on in shaky inked handwriting. Edward met him at the locker, smiling and happy, as always.

"Good afternoon." Edward said, his own notes held against his chest, written in beautiful looped letters. "Ready for class?" he asked. Oswald pulled away from the locker door and nodded.

"I think so." he answered. Edward adjusted his glasses. The grip Oswald had on his notes loosened and the pages dropped, fluttering down to the floor in Oswald's distraction. Flustered, he quickly grabbed after them, managing to collect a few before they hit the ground. Edward kindly helped his friend retrieve the rest.

"Are you sure you're okay? Do you want me to do most of the talking, I don't mind." Ed asked, his voice was strong with concern and he put a hand up to Oswald's forehead. "You're not sick, are you?" Oswald shook his head, pulling slightly away from Edward and rearranged his notes back into order.

"N-no. I'm ready." Oswald reassured him.

They headed to class and took their seats. Other pairs of students were called up to show their work for their own projects, Oswald shook slightly in his chair as he waited for his turn. He wasn't the best public speaker, but he started to calm down a bit once he remembered that Edward was going to do most of the talking.

"Nygma, Cobblepot." the teacher called, motioning for the boys to come up to the front of the room. They both walked up to the front of the class, notes in hand, and they began to talk about their assignment. Edward took the lead, mostly because he loved talking about science, but also because he knew Oswald would be more comfortable if he did the speaking. Oswald made a few points once he felt comfortable, reading from his notes with barely a shake in his voice. There was something about his science partner that calmed his nerves. The rest of the class clapped once they were finished with their presentation and they returned to their seats. Oswald felt proud. Proud of himself, proud of not messing up on something so important, proud that he didn't need his mechanisms to calm him down for once. He was proud that he had someone to help him through it.

The class let out for the weekend, and as Oswald left the science room he came to a startling revelation. Edward didn't have a reason to hang out with him anymore. There were no obligations anymore, no project to work on, nothing keeping him here. Oswald slumped his shoulders, suddenly feeling very heavy and in the way of people pushing past him. He quickly retrieved his things from his locker and ran outside. Edward was already there, waiting for him.

"Hi!" he said happily. Oswald jumped at his greeting, having not seen him standing there. "Do you want to do something after school?" Edward asked. "If you're not busy, that is." he added. Oswald nodded quickly, a bit overeager to hear that Edward still wanted to be around him. He wasn't used to this whole friend thing yet.

"Sure, okay." Oswald agreed, feeling the heavy weight drop from his shoulders. They walked back to Oswald's house, Gertrud had again met them at the door.

"How did it go boys?" she asked, a high energy in her voice once she saw Edward. "Did we get A's?" Edward nodded as he and Oswald dropped their bags by the door.

"I think so." Oswald replied.

"I _know_ so." Edward playfully corrected. Gertrud smiled wide and pulled both boys into her arms, hugging them tightly.

"Ah! I am so proud of you both! I will make you cookies to celebrate!" she cheered as she released the boys and headed off to the kitchen to get started. Edward locked eyes with Oswald and smiled again.

"I really like your mom." he said softly, repeating his words from before. Oswald smiled back as he broke the stare and started climbing the stairs to the second floor, Ed right behind him.

"She really likes you too." Oswald replied once they got to his room. He left the door open just a crack. When Oswald turned back around, Edward was only a few inches away, he nearly bumped right into him.

"I really like _you_ , too." Edward said quietly, almost shyly. Oswald had never seen him like this before, his usual happy expression was now replaced with a soft seriousness and his smile a nervous line. "I...um wanted to mention it sooner, but...I wasn't sure. I didn't want to scare you." He fidgeted with his glasses, looking down to avoid Oswald's eyes. He was unsure of what to say next, so he stayed quiet and waited for Oswald's reply.

"You do?" Oswald said, with a sudden confidence that had been buried for so long. Edward looked back up and nodded in quick succession.

"Remember that day you hit your head? On my locker door?" he asked. Oswald nodded. His head had hurt for days from that hit, mostly from overthinking it. "I felt really bad about it, I didn't mean to hurt you or anything." Edward said quickly. "I never really apologized, I'm sorry Oswald."

"It's fine." Oswald said, his voice falling to a whisper. Edward took a step closer.

"You know that I would never hurt you on purpose, right? You can always count on me." Edward reached out and took Oswald's hand into his, his grip was light and shaky.

"I know, Edward." he replied, wrapping his calm hand around Edward's. He gave him a reassuring smile, and the shake in Edward's hand ceased. 

"And when I checked on you, at lunch, I wanted to tell you then, how much I liked you. But I couldn't." Edward confessed, finally able to look Oswald in the eye. "I'm sorry I took so long." Oswald smiled, it took up nearly his entire face. All the panic and all the worry was gone, and it was replaced with a feeling Oswald had never felt before. 

"I...I like you too, Edward." he admitted, the confidence wavered, but stayed strong. The grip on Oswald's hand tightened slightly as the confidence shifted toward Edward. 

"Would you...maybe want to go out sometime, with me?" Edward asked, hopeful. Oswald nodded. "Great!" Edward cheered. He let go of Oswald's hand and brought both hands up to hold Oswald's face. Edward placed a quick kiss on Oswald's forehead and turned back towards the door. "Is tomorrow okay?" he asked. Oswald, slightly stunned and face flushed red, nodded. 

"Okay." he replied softly. 

"I'll be here around seven?" Oswald nodded again, having lost his voice. With a final smile, Edward walked into the hallway and went back downstairs. Oswald heard Ed bidding a farewell to his mother and that he would be back tomorrow for the cookies. 

When the front door closed and Edward left, the anxiousness in Oswald left too.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know! I know! Ha, it took me long enough! But the cuteness that is now possibly canon inspired this a bit. I hope you enjoy!


	6. Date

Oswald still couldn't believe it. He had a date for Saturday night. He spent all day getting ready, checking his hair in every mirror he passed, making sure there weren't any wrinkles in his shirt. He had told his mother about the date soon after Edward had left. He was nervous about telling her, but she hugged him, kissed the top of his head, gave him a cookie and told him everything would be just fine. 

At six thirty he started getting anxious. Where would they be going? How would they get there? Would they walk? How long would they be gone? Oswald had never been on a date before, he didn't know how any of this worked. Little did he know, Edward didn't either. Oswald had also never been anywhere but home and school with Edward before, that scared him just the slightest bit. He knew his anxiety wasn't going to go away after admitting his feelings, but he didn't know it would get worse. He was pacing back and forth in the entryway of the house, a few feet from the front door. The house was quiet, and his constant footsteps and creaking floorboards were starting to get on Gertrud's nerves.

"Oswald," she said, as she came down the stairs. "You have to stop being so scared of this boy." Oswald stopped pacing and shook his head in apology.

"I'm sorry, mother." he said, slightly out of breath from his pacing. "I'm just...nervous, I guess." He put his head down and stared at the floor. Gertrud descended the stairs and ran over to her son. She put her hands on his shoulders and smiled down at him.

"My sweet boy," she said. "You have nothing to be nervous about." Oswald looked up at her. "This boy cares about you, and he is very nice, and he's very patient with you. I like him. And I hope you have a good time tonight, okay?" Oswald took a deep breath, taking his mother's advice to heart.

"I will, mother." he said confidently. The clock in the hallway suddenly struck seven and a jolt of panic shot through Oswald's chest at the chime. Gertrud shook him lightly by the shoulders.

"Everything will be fine, my Oswald." she encouraged. Just then, the doorbell rang and Oswald turned towards the sound.

"Ah! I'll be right back!" Gertrud said, and took off into the kitchen. Oswald gulped and took a step towards the door. He turned the knob slowly and opened the door. There was Edward's smiling face on the other side, the smile that made Oswald's stomach do cartwheels. The orange lamp light from the entryway glowed in reflection on Edward's glasses.

"Hi, Oswald." Edward said, his hands clasped behind his back.

"Hi, Ed." Oswald greeted. "Come in." Oswald moved out of the way to let Edward inside. The second Edward stepped into the house, Gertrud burst from the kitchen, a plastic bag in her hands.

"Hello sweet Edward!" he cooed. "I have the cookies that I promised." she said, taking the plastic bag full of cookies and put them in Ed's hands. He took them graciously and smiled down at her.

"Thank you very much, Miss Gertrud." he said, giving her a small hug in greeting. When they pulled away, her hands went up to his face and she squished it a bit.

"You are so polite! I hope you two have a wonderful evening!" She let Edward go and turned to her mortified son. "Now, run along boys! Don't be out too late!" Edward opened the door for Oswald.

"We'll be back by nine." Edward confirmed. Gertrud waved goodbye to them as they began to walk towards the nicer side of Gotham City. Edward led the way, Oswald trailing behind him. After a few seconds, Oswald caught up and looked up at Ed.

"Where are we going?" he asked curiously.

"I was thinking maybe just going out for coffee, as a start?" Edward said. Oswald nodded.

"Okay." he smiled. The skies were dark above them, the pollution of the city blocked out any sign of stars. The street lights along the sidewalk provided them with plenty of light to see the path ahead. They walked past the school and headed up towards Main Street. The coffee shop was right on the corner, and it didn't seem too busy. Edward held the door for Oswald as they went inside. They placed their orders, got their coffee and sat down at one of the tables by the window. Edward smiled across the table at Oswald.

"Are you nervous?" he asked.

"A little." Oswald admitted, staring down at his coffee.

"Don't be." Edward said. "I mean, I hope I'm not making you nervous." he corrected himself. Oswald quickly shook his head.

"N-no. I've just...never done this before."

"Been on a date?" Edward asked. Oswald nodded. "Neither have I." Edward confessed, taking a sip of his coffee.

"Really?" Oswald asked. Edward shook his head.

"I'm not usually the dating type." he said. "But, you kind of changed things." A blush crept up on Oswald's face and he hoped Edward didn't notice. "It's cute when you do that."

"Do what?" Oswald asked. Oh, he noticed.

"Get nervous. I mean, you have certain mannerisms when you're nervous. It's cute." Edward said. "Like when you blush like that, I think it's cute." Oswald tried to hide his face behind his cup, but it was no use. At least Ed thought he was cute.

"I um, I really enjoyed working on the project with you." Oswald said, changing the subject. "I really learned a lot, and not just stuff about science." Ed's heart skipped a beat.

"I...I really enjoyed it too." he replied, stuttering just a bit. Once they had finished their coffee, Edward and Oswald walked back home. Edward had taken hold of Oswald's hand and didn't let go of it until they had reached the doorstep.

"I had a lot of fun," Oswald said. "Thanks, Ed."

"Can we do it again sometime?" Edward asked, hopefully.

"Sure, I'd love to." Oswald said. Edward reached out to him but hesitated. He finally wrapped his arms around Oswald's shoulders, and placed a soft kiss on his cheek. He let go and waved goodbye, heading off back to the nice side of the city. He left Oswald on the doorstep, his heart racing and his hand held against his cheekbone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> GUESS WHAT'S CANON. :D 
> 
> THIS.


	7. The New Girl

Oswald had been living high up in the clouds since Saturday night. The smile had never left his face, he had _never_ been so happy in his life. He answered all of his mother's questions about the date, though he did leave out the part where Edward had kissed him, and not for the first time either. The skin of his cheekbone burned every time Oswald thought about the kiss. He was having so many firsts lately, it was making his head spin. His mind would then wander to...other firsts, and he would quickly shut the blinds on that part of his brain and go back to normal. He wasn't about to let his anxiety ruin this, not now. He had been doing so good lately, nothing could ruin this now.

On Monday morning he nearly skipped down the steps. He grabbed a quick breakfast and kissed his mother goodbye. She had given him another bag of cookies to give to Edward, and he put them safely in his backpack. Edward wasn't on the street corner, like always, to walk him to school. Oswald shrugged it off, no big deal. He walked to school by himself, like he had a thousand times before. He stepped into the building, surrounded by the other students. He made his way through the sea of people to his locker, where he put his things away. He'd give Edward the cookies after school, he had decided. Oswald closed his locker and headed off to find Ed. As he walked down the long hallway, he made another decision. He wanted to be the one to kiss Edward for once. Not at school, but maybe invite Edward over for dinner tonight. He'd wait until his mother was out of the room, and he'd kiss him. It would be perfect. As Oswald smiled, he looked up at the end of the hallway, and everything crashed down. There, at Edward's locker, was a girl.

She was beautiful. Her long red hair was pulled back, glasses over her eyes, and her hand was on Edward's arm. She was laughing, probably at something Edward had said. In her other arm she had books clutched to her stomach. Oswald had never seen her before, but Ed certainly had. He was smiling back at her in pure admiration, and the smile that had been on Oswald's face all weekend had shattered in front of him. He felt like he had walked in on something he shouldn't have seen, spying on a private moment that he did not belong in. He quickly turned around and disappeared back into the crowd of kids around him. Oswald felt shaky and sick and he wanted to go home. He ducked behind the wall, the one where he would occasionally watch Ed, before any of this had happened. He was slipping into a panic attack. He hadn't had one in so long, and he had forgotten his coping mechanisms. He took in a sharp breath and counted up and down in tens. He didn't know why he reacted that way, he just knew that he didn't belong anymore.

When he had calmed down, he spent the rest of the day going from class to class, dodging Edward whenever he could. He ate his lunch in an isolated corner of the library, so Edward wouldn't see him at the lunch table. He had made very good progress of it. He only had one class to go, science. Unfortunately, he'd have no choice but to see Edward then. Oswald walked in just in time, the last to join the class. He took his seat, ignoring Edward's wave. Oswald spent the entire class zoned out, staring at the blackboard. The class ended, and Edward approached him as the final bell rang.

"Are you okay?" he asked, sincerely. Oswald nodded, though he didn't really register what he had been asked.

"Yeah," Oswald replied, not able to look his friend in the eyes. "Just not feeling well." Edward frowned. He reached out and put his hand on Oswald's shoulder.

"I hope you feel better," Edward slowly ran his hand down Oswald's arm. "There's something I want to talk to you about, when you feel better, that is."

"Yeah. Sure, Ed." Oswald replied. Everything Edward said sounded distorted, like Oswald was dreaming.

"I'll talk to you later, okay." Edward said, smiling as Oswald turned and left. Oswald shook the dreamlike feeling away, but it wouldn't go. He walked to his locker, got his things, and headed off to the front doors. He was almost out when someone called his name. The girl from before ran up to him, a big smile stretched across her face, painted in a rose pink. His stomach sunk.

"Are you Oswald?" she asked happily. He nodded. He was mostly back in reality now, but slivers of dream still remained. "I'm Kristen." she said, holding her hand out. Oswald shook it.

"Nice to meet you." he said slowly.

"Ed has told me so much about you." she gushed. "I just _had_ to meet you."

"Yeah, Ed's great." Oswald smiled.

'Well anyway, I have to go. But any friend of Ed's is a friend of mine, okay? I'll see you around." Kristen reached out and hugged him. Oswald didn't hug back. She pulled away, adjusted her glasses and left.

He wanted to hate her, he really did. He wanted to hate her because he didn't belong anymore. He wanted to blame her for so much. That's what Edward wanted to talk about. He had found someone else, someone better, someone who didn't need to count to ten to get through her day. Someone he had something in common with, that he could have kids with, she was someone to grow old with. Oswald wanted to hate her, but he couldn't. She was beautiful, smart, and so kind. She was the kind of person Edward deserved. Kristen was perfect for him. Oswald understood, he understood it all too well. He walked back home with his head hung low, no energy left to fake happiness anymore today. He got home and immediately went to his room, he didn't even bother saying hello to his mother. He closed his door, dropped his backpack onto the ground, and went to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had to shake things up a bit, with how things are going on the show at the moment. But fear not, my darlings, it's all going to work out.


	8. Misunderstandings

When Oswald didn't come downstairs for dinner, Gertrud got worried. She rushed up the stairs in dramatic fashion and gently knocked on his door. When he didn't answer, she got even more worried.

"My darling, Oswald? Are you all right?" she asked through the door. "Dinner is ready, please come downstairs." Oswald blinked his eyes open and padded over to the door to open it.

"I'm okay." he said lazily. "I'm just tired." Gertrud gave him a stern look, eyebrows furrowed in worry. She put her hand up to his forehead.

"Are you sick, dear?" she asked.

"No, I'm fine." he lied.

"Did something happen at school?" she asked. "Edward has called twice asking about you." His heart skipped. Edward had called about him? Shouldn't he be busy with his new...friend?

"I don't know why he would care." Oswald mumbled. Gertrud took his face into her hands.

"Oswald what is wrong? You know that boy cares about you." Oswald turned away, out of her motherly grasp.

"I don't want to talk about it, I'm sorry mother." he said, and closed the door again. Gertrud put her hand over her heart and sighed. She decided to leave him alone, she didn't want to upset him further. 

The next morning, as Oswald was getting ready for school, the doorbell rang. From the bathroom, Oswald could hear Edward's voice from downstairs, and his mother gushing over him. Oswald crept out of the bathroom and grabbed his backpack that was sitting by the stairs.

"Oswald, dear! Your Edward is here!" his mother called. Oswald cringed. _His_ Edward? Edward wasn't his anymore. He never was. Oswald went downstairs, keeping his head down. He didn't want to see Edward, it hurt too much. Edward said hi, but Oswald brushed past him and went outside. He was already heading down the block when Edward caught up to him.

"Did I do something wrong?" Edward asked sadly. Oswald shook his head. He still didn't want to talk about it.

"No." he replied shortly, and kept walking. They walked the rest of the way in silence. The first few hours at school, Oswald was still distant, and Edward, much like Gertrud, had began to worry. When lunch rolled around, Oswald went to his usual table, the table with only one chair, and he ate all alone. Oswald heard the sounds of chairs being pulled up to the table, and when he looked up, Edward had dragged two chairs and set them to Oswald's left. Kristen was right behind Edward, and Oswald's heart sank.

"Hello, Oswald!" Edward smiled. "I brought someone to meet you." Kristen sat down beside Oswald, and Edward next to her, as Kristen set both of their lunch trays down. Oswald was kind of bitter that she had to sit between them, but he said nothing about it.

"Hi, Ed." Oswald said, keeping his head down. "Hi, Kristen." 

"We met yesterday." Kristen said. "Didn't we, Oswald?" Oswald nodded. He was embarrassed to be the third wheel. He didn't understand why Edward was doing this to him. Did the kisses even mean anything? Was this his way of telling Oswald that he didn't really feel that way about him? Oswald suddenly wasn't hungry anymore.

"Kristen is in my math class." Edward said, he adjusted his glasses. Oswald sighed longingly, but neither Ed nor Kristen noticed. He wanted to leave. He was so sorry about so much, but he didn't know why. He had nothing to be sorry for. He scooted the chair back and picked his tray up. "Where are you going?" Edward asked.

"I'm not really feeling well." Oswald said. He looked over at Kristen. "It was nice to meet you again." he said, before taking his tray to put it away, and he left. Oswald wanted to go home, but he didn't want to fall behind in school again, he didn't want Edward to have to come over to help him anymore. He made it through the entire day and when the final bell rang, Oswald grabbed his things from his locker and left as fast as he could. He didn't mean to be a bother, he really didn't. He had only wanted something so badly, and he could never have it. Oswald heard fast footsteps running up behind him, the owner of the footsteps put his hand on Oswald's shoulder and stopped him.

"Why are you acting like this? Why are you acting like I don't like you?" Edward asked. There was so much hurt in his eyes, magnified by his glasses and it tore through Oswald's heart.

"I..." Oswald began. "I don't want to get in the way." Edward shook his head.

"What do you mean? You're not in the way of anything."

"I'm in the way of you and Kristen. I want you to be happy, and you can't be happy if I'm in the way." Oswald cried, struggling to hold the tears back. Edward sighed, his eyes closed.

"That's what I've been trying to talk to you about." Edward said softly.

"Well, you don't have to. I get it." Oswald said, and started walking again. Edward walked along side him.

"Can we go somewhere to talk? Please?" Edward begged. Oswald stopped, he thought it over and nodded slowly. They walked to a nearby park, it was deserted at this time of day. They sat down on the sidewalk, inches apart. "Are you worried that I might be dating Kristen?" he asked. Oswald, keeping his eyes to the ground, nodded. "Well, I'm not." Oswald turned to look up at him.

"You're not?" he asked, surprised. Edward shook his head.

"She's my friend, I don't have very many." Edward explained. "Like I said, she's in my math class. I was...hoping she could be your friend too."

"What do you mean?" Oswald asked.

"I don't mean this in a bad way, so please don't be offended, but...I don't like seeing you sitting alone at lunch. It makes me really sad, and I...I thought that maybe if I introduced you to people, you might like some of them. I just wanted you to have friends, so you wouldn't be alone all the time." Edward said, it was his turn to look at the ground. "I really care about you, Oswald. I'm sorry if I hurt you." Edward looked over at him. "I'd never hurt you on purpose." Oswald smiled, he didn't care if the tears fell, let them. Edward wrapped him up in his long arms and held him close.

"I'm sorry," Oswald mumbled against Edward's neck. "I didn't mean to be a jerk." Edward smiled.

"I think I was the one being a jerk." he said. "I should have asked you about it first, I shouldn't have surprised you like that. I'm sorry too." Edward pulled away, still keeping Oswald in his arms. He leaned down and pressed his lips to Oswald's, softly, waiting for Oswald to respond. Oswald's arms tightened around Edward's waist, as he leaned further into the kiss, his heart about to beat out of his chest. Edward pulled away and placed a few more kisses along Oswald's forehead. "Is it okay if Kristen sits with us at lunch? If it makes you uncomfortable, we can sit by ourselves." Oswald shook his head.

"I don't mind." he replied, his head resting against Edward's chest. Edward smiled as they both stood back up. They walked back to Oswald's house, hand in hand, every ounce of worry had been washed away from them both.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This probably ISN'T the end, but I left it at a happy place, just in case it does. I really love them both so much, I don't want to end it here, but I don't want to drag it out longer than it has to be. What do you all think?


	9. Dinner

After the misunderstanding was sorted out, Edward took Oswald home. Gertrud was waiting by the window in worry, anxiously peeking out from behind the curtain, waiting for her favorite boy to come home. Oswald was thirty minutes late. Oswald was _never_ late. When she saw him walking up the sidewalk, his hand in Edward's, she gasped in excitement, her hand over her mouth. She scurried away from the the window, untangling herself from the curtains as she skipped over to the front door. She opened it just as the boys hit the steps. They looked up at her in surprise and quickly pulled their hands away from each other, letting their arms drop to their sides. Gertrud smiled slyly.

"Now, boys. You do not have to hide things from me." she said. Edward and Oswald looked at each other, before Ed reached over to grab Oswald's hand again. Oswald flushed red and looked down. Gertrud giggled. "Come inside! I am making dinner!" she announced and moved away from the door to let them in. The boys put their bags down by the door and followed her inside. Oswald gently pulled Edward into the living room as Gertrud headed off to the kitchen. They sat down on the couch that faced the doorway. All was quiet, except for dishes clanking around in the kitchen and the occasional hum of Gertrud's singing. Edward turned to Oswald and smiled.

"How long has she known?" Ed asked. Oswald shifted uncomfortably on the couch.

"After you started coming over to study." he replied. Edward's thumb traced over the top of Oswald's hand. "She just knew."

"And how long have _you_ known?" Oswald went red again.

"What do you mean?" Oswald asked nervously. Edward laughed, letting his smile show in his eyes..

"How long have you felt like this? About me?" Oswald looked down, thinking about the question carefully.

"When I uh...hit your locker." he admitted. "That's why I ran away." It was Edward's turn to blush. He tightened his grip on Oswald's hand.

"I had a feeling." Edward smiled. He leaned over and kissed the side of Oswald's head. "You're doing it again. The cute nervous thing." Edward was much more affectionate than Oswald thought he would be. It was nice, though it was a lot to get used to. But he didn't feel pressured by the affection, he knew that Ed wouldn't push any boundaries, and Ed didn't mind waiting. He was just as scared as Oswald. 

"Boys!" Gertrud called from the dining room. "The dinner is ready, my darlings!" Edward and Oswald stood, finally letting their hands part as they headed into the dining room for dinner.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I managed to get a few hundred words out in between NaNo chapters. It's short, but I hope you enjoy! (Oh how I wish this counted towards NaNo... *sigh*)


	10. The Green Crayon

It was the first day of the school week, and Oswald Cobblepot should have stayed home. Oswald's head harshly hit the door of his own locker, as if hitting Ed's the first time wasn't bad enough. Oswald dropped to the floor and shielded himself from his attacker.

"Jim! Knock it off!" Oswald heard a girl say, but his head was covered by his arms and he couldn't see her. He heard Jim Gordon, resident bully, take a step back.

"I'm not gonna hurt 'em, Barb." Jim chuckled deeply. "Not too bad." Oswald peeked out from behind his hands to see Barbara Kean, head cheerleader and current girlfriend of the week to resident bully, push Jim back with her arm.

"He didn't even do anything to you!" Barbara yelled. She knelt down to Oswald and put her hand on his shoulder. "You okay, cutie?" she asked. Oswald nodded silently as Barbara helped him up. Jim lunged at him, trying to make Oswald flinch. He did, and Oswald pushed back against his closed locker door. Jim laughed again as he put his arm heavily over Barbara's shoulders. They walked away down the hall, his school jacket and her cheer uniform matching in the school's colors, black and yellow. Barbara turned her head back to Oswald and gave him a sad smile in apology. It was odd for Oswald, Jim's girlfriends usually didn't defend him, or help him up, they played along with Jim instead. Oswald finished his business at his locker and quickly darted off to his next class. He sat down in math and held a hand to his head. There was the tiniest of cuts on his temple, where he had collided with the sharp metal of the door. He didn't dare go to the nurse.

Jim Gordon had been Oswald's bully since kindergarten. It started when a five year old Oswald wouldn't give Jim the green crayon. Jim was in desperate need of drawing a tree and he _needed_ that crayon. Punches were thrown, words were said, Oswald was given a black eye and Jim went home with a sprained ankle after tripping over Oswald on the ground, who had just taken a punch where he got his black eye. This feud had continued throughout middle school and now it carried on into high school. All over a green crayon.

"Oh gosh, what happened?" Kristen asked at lunch, as Oswald approached the table with his tray. She took his tray from him and set it on the table next to hers. Kristen took Oswald's face carefully into her hands and looked over his cut, adjusting her glasses as she did so. Oswald let her inspect him.

"I...tripped. That's all." he lied. She let him go and they both sat down at the lunch table.

"Are you sure?" Kristen asked suspiciously. Oswald nodded as Ed walked up to them.

"Hello Kristen." Edward said with a smile as he sat down with his tray. "Hello Os-" he stopped when he saw the cut, the smile dropped into a frown. He hand immediately flew up to Oswald's head. He cradled his face with both hands and looked into Oswald's eyes. "What happened?" Edward asked, voice full of concern. Oswald shook out of his grasp, afraid others might see.

"I tripped. I was just telling Kristen." Oswald said, looking down at his food. Edward quickly understood, he didn't want the entire school to hear, or to see how close he had just gotten to Oswald.

"Can we talk later?" Edward asked. "Please?" Oswald nodded and the three of them went back to their lunch.

Later, in the hallway, Oswald went back to his locker for his science book. He checked behind the corner to make sure the coast was clear, before he made a mad dash towards it. He quickly got his book and turned back to leave. A hand reached out to touch his shoulder and he jumped, a jolt of shock and fear shot through him. He turned to see Barbara, her hands over her mouth, in guilt for accidentally scaring him.

"I'm sorry!" she said. "I didn't mean to scare you, I just wanted to say I was sorry about earlier. Jim's being a real jerk lately, I don't know why. Is your head okay?" she asked. Oswald nodded rapidly, adrenaline still coursing through his veins. People were always asking him if he was okay, he was getting tired of it.

"Yeah, it's just a scratch." he said, trying to turn away, but she just kept talking.

"If he ever does that when I'm not around, just tell me, okay? I'll kick his ass for you." Barbara said. With that, she gave him a wave and headed off down the hall. Oswald let out a deep breath, his hand over his heart, trying to calm it. He slipped into his science class a few minutes late, receiving angry warning glares from the teacher, and continued looks of concern from Ed.

When class had ended, Edward was quick to stand at Oswald's side before Oswald had even stood from his desk. He followed Oswald to his locker, and as he opened it, something caught Edward's eye. A splash of dried red across the locker door. Everything quickly clicked into place in Edward's head. When the door closed, their eyes met, Oswald just shrugged. After collecting Ed's things at his locker, they walked outside. Edward looked around the outside of the school and when they were far enough away, he gently took Oswald's hand into his. He pulled him away from the sidewalk as Edward started walking towards the park where they had first kissed.

"Tell me what really happened." Edward said, not forming it as a question, as they entered the park. Oswald looked down.

"You know how Jim is." he said quietly. "He bullies you too." Edward frowned, because Oswald was right. They stopped at the sidewalk and sat down, still holding hands.

"That doesn't make it okay," Edward said. "You should talk to the principal." Oswald scoffed.

"What's _he_ going to do? He's the reason Jim and the others get away with everything, he's friends with Jim's dad." Oswald explained. "I've lived with it for this long, I only have a couple more years left and I doubt Jim is going to the same college as me." Edward sighed and let his hand go. He wrapped Oswald in a hug and held him tight.

"At least talk to your mom about it." Edward suggested. Oswald shook his head against Edward's neck.

"She'd burn that entire school down and you know it." Edward laughed.

"You're probably right." Edward agreed, and let Oswald go. He adjusted his glasses. "So I guess that just means I have to follow you everywhere you go." Oswald smiled.

"I think I would be okay with that."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here I am, cheating on NaNoWriMo again. I should have just written fics for it, honestly. BUT I hope you enjoy it, and I really like writing Jim as a jerk. I feel like he probably would have been a rebellious little asshole in high school, with his dad's district attorney reputation and everything. But this is just the start of other Gotham characters working their way in. Who knows who else has been walking the halls with Eddie and Ossie this whole time... ;)


	11. The Doctor

Oswald stood outside of the guidance counselor's office, staring up at the closed door. Ms. Peabody had already ushered him into the waiting room, but since there was no one else waiting to see him, Oswald was allowed to go on in. Now, she was sitting behind her secretary desk, giving him disapproving looks over her magazine. Oswald shakily opened the door and stepped inside. He didn't want it to have to come to this. He wanted this whole bullying thing to just blow over, no one ever had to mention it ever again. As long as Jim left him alone, he was happy.

"Mr. Cobblepot?" the man said, almost surprised. "I never thought I'd see _you_ here. Please, have a seat." Oswald did as told and sat down across the desk from him.

"Hello, Dr. Strange." Oswald mumbled. Hugo Strange was a former psychiatrist turned school counselor. He hadn't exactly quit his psychiatry job, more like...he was _let go_. No one knows why, but rumors had been going around school for years, long before Oswald or Edward were in high school. He wasn't Oswald's biggest fan, either. He saw Oswald as a child, and treated him as such. 

"What can I help you with today, Mr. Cobblepot?" he asked, his hands folded in his lap. Oswald kept his eyes down, too embarrassed to explain. Dr. Strange cleared his throat loudly, urging him to continue. He was already frustrated with Oswald.

"Um, I've been...uhh." Oswald stuttered.

" _Please,_ Mr. Cobblepot. Use your words." Dr. Strange snapped. Oswald nodded and tried to collect himself.

"I've been having...trouble, with a student." he said. Dr. Strange leaned forward over the desk.

"Which student?" he asked. Oswald shook his head.

"I really don't want to say." Oswald replied, taking a quick glance at the doctor, but immediately looked back down.

"Then there isn't much I can do." Dr. Strange said, his interest dwindling. "Why don't you come back once you remember, all right? Until then, try not to bother anyone, or just go see Principal Barnes. Good day, Mr. Cobblepot." he said with a smile, waving him towards the door. Oswald sighed, keeping his eyes down as he stood up. He left the office without looking back at Ms. Peabody. Since Oswald's eyes were still down, he wasn't paying much attention to his surroundings. Oswald slammed into someone's chest, and as he looked up to apologize, his heart sank. Oswald was face to face with an incredibly angry Jim Gordon. His eyes were furious, and Oswald nearly expected them to turn red in rage.

"Why don't ya watch where you're goin', Bird Boy?" Jim growled. Oswald stepped out of the way, mumbling a string of apologies.

"Jim, just leave him alone." Barbara said, her arm wrapped around Jim's. "It was an accident." Jim shook his head.

"Yeah, sure. Why don't ya apologize?" Jim said, looking down at Oswald.

"I'm...I'm sorry, Jim." Oswald stuttered. Jim smiled to one side.

"Good. Now to her." Jim said, nodding towards Barbara.

"Don't you dare." Barbara said, releasing Jim's arm. "You've got nothing to apologize for, Oswald." Jim frowned in anger, first at Barbara, then at Oswald.

"Why are you always defending him?" Jim asked her. Barbara took a step back towards her friend that Oswald didn't notice before. She was dressed in the same matching cheerleading uniform as Barbara was.

"Because he didn't do anything wrong, Jim. He never does, you blow it all up. Leave him alone." Barbara snapped. Jim's anger started to rise and he brought his fist up, aimed at Oswald. He flinched down as the fist came at him. " _James Gordon, if you hit that boy I will never speak to you again!_ " Barbara screamed. Jim stopped mid-punch and turned back to Barbara. She slapped him as hard as she could, leaving scratches across his cheek from her nails. Jim held a hand up to his face as Barbara rushed over to Oswald and put her arms around him.

"Get the hell out of here." Tabitha, Barbara's friend, snapped at Jim. Jim looked back at Oswald, ego wounded, but still furious.

"Watch your back, Bird Boy." Jim said. "'Cause I'm gonna knock you out once your cute little bodyguards leave." With that, Jim walked down the hall, avoiding worried glances from the other students.

"Don't worry about him, cutie." Barbara said. "He's a jerk." The girls walked Oswald to his next class, where he was safe from Jim. At least, for a little while.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm still coming back after NaNo, so updates on all my fics might take a while. This update is short, but I promise they'll get longer once I get back into the swing of things. :)
> 
> (ALSO, mean Jim is so fun to write, and there's reasons why he's a jerk, you'll see.)


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